Can anyone help me understand the Wyoming outfitter reg?

I am really thinking about trying to hunt Wyoming in a year or two. My father in-law and I are going to start buying preferance points this year for Wyoming. In reading about Elk hunting there, I see that on Federal land you need a resident or an outfitter to hunt with you. Is there much public land that you do not need an outfitter to hunt with you? There are 3 of us looking to go in a year or two and we really do not want to hire an outfitter. Also what units would you suggest looking at?

Not an elk hunter so not much help there but its only the Wildernes areas around Yellowstone and a small area of the bighorns that a nonresident needs a resident or guide. Any of the game maps will have these area's marked.
Good luck elk hunting without knowing someone, paying a guide or landowner for a tresspass fee. The area I hunt deer in the landowners typicaly either dont allow elk hunting or charge $250 or more to use their road, those in the know though just walk in using only BLM and state land.
If you succeed you will have worked for it!!

__________________"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." -Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

You don't need an outfitter on federal lands, just wilderness areas. There are a lot of areas that you can hunt wo/ an outfitter. You will need to do some research on the tags, they have 4 options available and you will probably only qualify for two wo/ any pref pts depending on the area. They have reg draw wo/ max pts and reg draw w/ max pts. They have special draw wo and w/ max points. Good luck.
Brad

Like has been said, it's only the designated wilderness portions of the FEDERAL land in Wyoming that you are required to have an outfitter. You can hike, fish, or camp in any of the wilderness areas any time you want, but if you want to hunt in them, you have to hire a guide. The law is solely for the benefit of the guide and outfitter business.